Hours later, the despair became too much. I called Elena, my sister, my voice hollow as I explained everything – Leo, the contract, the frozen permits, and Julian’s devastating refusal to act.
“She’s cutting me off, Elena,” I confessed, the words tumbling out. “I’m almost back to where I was after the bankruptcy. You remember that. The desperation.”
I even brought up Dante, a name I hadn’t spoken in years. “I know some… less conventional people from back then. From the edge of that world. Veronica seems to have connections there, too.”
Elena listened patiently, her quiet intensity radiating even through the phone. She didn’t interrupt, just let me talk until I was empty.
“Maria,” she finally said, her voice firm, “this isn’t your fault. This is Veronica. And we’re not going to let her get away with it.”
She paused, then continued, “You focus on Leo, on keeping things together here. I’ll start digging. Public records, corporate filings, anything I can find on Veronica’s rapid rise. There has to be a pattern.”
A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. Elena, with her sharp mind and background in research, was exactly who I needed. Her quiet resolve felt like a shield against the overwhelming forces arrayed against me.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “This could get messy.”
“I’m sure,” she replied, her voice unwavering. “She attacked our family. That’s a line she shouldn’t have crossed.”
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